“The aesthetic experience is a simple beholding of the object . . . you experience a radiance. You are held in aesthetic arrest.” - Joseph Campbell
Cheers to 100 Episodes!!!
We’ve spent the last two years sharing our love of art and culture with the world . . . and we are beyond grateful to all of our devoted readers, listeners, and subscribers for joining us on this adventure. And we also want to give a special shout-out to all of our paid subscribers! We couldn’t do it without you. Cheers to you!
For this very special 100th episode extravaganza, we have a theme to guide us . . . All of our recommendations on today’s podcast are inspired by a great dinner party question we encountered recently:
Who are some of the artists you cannot live without? What are some examples from the world of art and culture that regularly bring you the beauty, wisdom, inspiration and joy we all need to survive in these troubled times?
With that question in mind, we’ve both chosen five of our most cherished examples from among the many artists and artworks, books and writers, musicians and albums, directors and films and performers, foods and recipes and meals that we cannot live without.
But that’s not all! Because this is our 100th episode, we’re doing something special we’ve never done before in a single episode! We’ve chosen to share 100 - that’s right, 100 (!) - recommendations of art and artists we can’t live without. We’re still going to focus on our usual ten choices, but in today’s episode we’re also going to talk about 100 of our most beloved reading, listening, looking, viewing and tasting recommendations of all time! Cheers to that!
This Week’s Apéritif: Smirno-Secco Sweetie-Darling! (Smirnoff Vodka & Prosecco)
Ryan Wildstar’s Recommendations:
Reading: I can’t live without . . .
Jean Genet (who we discussed on this podcast!)
Gérard de Nerval (my homage here, also discussed on this podcast!)
Toni Morrison (discussed on this podcast!)
Iris Murdoch (discussed on this podcast!)
Mina Loy (discussed on this podcast & this podcast!)
Antonin Artaud (discussed on this podcast!)
John Rechy (discussed on this podcast!)
Charles Baudelaire (listen to me reading “Les Hiboux” [“The Owls”] here)
And my choice for today’s podcast: I cannot live without . . .
Jiddu Krishnamurti (previously discussed on this podcast!)
Click here for Krishnamurti: The Essentials — a curated booklist on The Epicurean Vagabonds Storefront at Bookshop.org!
Listening: I can’t live without . . .
David Bowie (who we discussed on this podcast & this podcast!)
Stevie Wonder (discussed on this podcast!)
Cocteau Twins/Elizabeth Fraser (discussed on this podcast!)
Roxy Music/Bryan Ferry/Brian Eno (discussed on this podcast, this podcast & this R&R conversation!)
Peggy Lee (discussed on this podcast!)
Tina Turner (read an excerpt from my memoir about meeting Tina here, Tina’s favorite quotes & she was discussed on this podcast!)
And my choice for today’s podcast: I cannot live without . . .
Nina Simone (previously discussed on this podcast & this R&R conversation!)
Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood: Nina Simone Essentials — My Playlist of Nina Simone Favorites:
Looking: I can’t live without . . .
Leonora Carrington (who we discussed on this podcast & this podcast!)
Séraphine de Senlis (discussed on this podcast, also see her paintings juxtaposed with my poems here)
Leonor Fini (discussed on this podcast!)
Joseph Cornell (discussed on our very first podcast!)
Caravaggio (discussed on this podcast, this podcast & in our Snapshots of Rome!)
Vincent Van Gogh (see our Van Gogh-inspired wedding cake here!)
And my choice for today’s podcast: I cannot live without . . .
Salvador Dalí (previously discussed on this podcast & this podcast!)
Viewing: I can’t live without . . .
Jean Cocteau (discussed on this podcast, this podcast & this one!)
Alejandro Jodorowsky (discussed on this podcast & this podcast!)
The Color Purple (discussed on this podcast!)
The Golden Girls (discussed on this podcast!)
Cabaret (discussed on this podcast!)
Butoh (discussed on this podcast & this Mid-Week Libation!)
Bette Davis (read my article inspired by one of her iconic lines)
Peter Brook: Marat/Sade, The Mahabharata, theatre (discussed on this podcast, this podcast, this one & in this article!)
Harold and Maude (discussed on this podcast!)
And my choice for today’s podcast: I cannot live without . . .
Federico Fellini (previously discussed on this podcast & this one!)
Check out the Essential Fellini Criterion Blu-Ray Box Set (available via The Criterion Collection) as well as the Essential Fellini Collection (streaming on The Criterion Channel).
Tasting: I can’t live without . . .
Old World Wines (when are we not discussing wine?)
Vietnamese Cuisine — specifically Phở & Nem (read this article!)
Jiaozi — Chinese Dumplings (discussed on this podcast!)
Beijing/Peking Duck (discussed on this podcast!)
Ramen (discussed on this podcast & this podcast!)
Eggs in every form! (we’ve discussed Cajun Deviled Eggs, Turkish Çılbır/Poached Eggs, Frittatas & Classic French Omelettes)
Bagels & Lox (I wrote about our favorite Montreal bagels here)
Toast (aka the perfect food — there's even a film about it!)
And my choice for today’s podcast: I cannot live without . . .
The Gastronomic Meal of the French (previously discussed on R&R in Conversation: Fine Dining in France), in 4 Courses (plus an Amuse-Bouche):
My Ideal French Gastronomic Meal:
Amuse-Bouche: Gougères
Paired with Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Cremant du Jura
1st Course: Escargots à la Bourguignonne
Paired with 2009 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault
2nd Course: Confit de Canard with Gratin Dauphinois and White Aspargus with Shaved Black Truffle Butter
3rd Course: A Selection of Cheeses - Livarot, Époisses, Roquefort Papillon, Comté, Brie de Melun, Munster-Géromé, Mimolette, Saint-Marcellin, Vacherin Mont d'Or
Paired with 2013 Domaine d'Auvenay (Lalou Bize Leroy) Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, 2007 Domaine Marc Sorrel Hermitage Les Rocoules, 2005 Nicolas Joly La Coulée de Serrant 'Clos de la Coulée de Serrant', 1996 Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune
4th Course: Profiteroles
Paired with 1927 Chateau d'Yquem Sauterne
Ryan Elston’s Recommendations:
Reading: I can’t live without . . .
The Complete Works of “Shakespeare”
The Works Attributed to “Homer” — including the Homeric Hymns (we discussed the newest translation of The Iliad on this podcast!)
Gertrude Stein & Alice B. Toklas (discussed on this podcast, this podcast & in this article!)
James Baldwin (discussed on this podcast!)
Ursula K. Le Guin (discussed on this podcast & this one!)
Ben Okri (discussed on this podcast & this one!)
And my choice for today’s podcast: I cannot live without . . .
Read my essay: H.D. and Me: Thoughts on H.D.’s “Eros” by Ryan Elston or listen to the audio version!
Click here for The Essential H.D. (Hilda Doolittle): A Reading List — a curated booklist on The Epicurean Vagabonds Storefront at Bookshop.org!
Listening: I can’t live without . . .
Johann Sebastian Bach & Anna Magdalena Bach (discussed in this article, which includes my Bach-inspired playlist!)
Ludwig van Beethoven (discussed on this podcast!)
Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn (read my 125th birthday tribute to Duke here & listen to R&R in Conversation: All That Jazz)
Sarah Vaughan (discussed on this podcast & R&R in Conversation: All That Jazz)
Yo-Yo Ma (discussed in this article, this article & on this podcast!)
Ballaké Sissoko (discussed in this article & on this podcast!)
Beverly Glenn-Copeland (discussed on this podcast & this one!)
Tori Amos (discussed on this podcast!)
And my choice for today’s podcast: I cannot live without . . .
My favorite album: Atlantis by McCoy Tyner
18 More of My Favorite Albums by McCoy Tyner:
Plus 9 Essential John Coltrane Albums Featuring McCoy Tyner on Piano:
It’s Always Time for Tyner (Highlights) — My Playlist of McCoy Tyner Favorites (All Original Compositions by Tyner):
It’s Always Time for Tyner — My Deep-Dive McCoy Tyner Playlist (containing one song each from every McCoy Tyner album on Spotify):
Read my essay about McCoy Tyner: It’s Always Time for Tyner: Atlantis!
Looking: I can’t live without . . .
Michelangelo (discussed on this podcast!)
Artemisia Gentileschi (discussed on this podcast & this one!)
Erté (discussed on this podcast!)
The Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend (discussed in this article!)
Jess aka Jess Collins & Robert Duncan
Kehinde Wiley (discussed on this podcast!)
Harmonia Rosales (discussed on this podcast!)
Rithika Merchant (discussed on this podcast!)
And my choice for today’s podcast: I cannot live without . . .
Viewing: I can’t live without . . .
Akira Kurosawa (discussed on this podcast & this one!)
Ingmar Bergman (discussed on this podcast!)
Jane Campion (discussed on this podcast & in this article!)
Ava DuVernay — including Queen Sugar! (discussed on this podcast, this podcast & in this article!)
Julie Dash's Daughters of the Dust (discussed on this podcast & in this article!)
John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig and the Angry Inch (discussed on this podcast & this one!)
International Treasure Judi Dench
Alvin Ailey & the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (discussed in this article & this one!)
TV Shows Written by, Created by & Co-Starring Jennifer Saunders: Absolutely Fabulous, French and Saunders, Jam & Jerusalem, The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle (we’ve probably quoted AbFab in at least half the podcast episodes we’ve ever recorded)
And my choice for today’s podcast: I cannot live without . . .
RuPaul and the ENTIRE RuPaul’s Drag Race Global Franchise (discussed on this podcast & in this article!)
Check which versions of RuPaul’s Drag Race are available to watch in your country/region on WOW Presents Plus! (You can also watch the first episode of every season for free!)
In the U.S., watch current episodes of the American franchise via Paramount+ (free trials available!)
Tasting: I can’t live without . . .
Ryan Wildstar's Gratin Dauphinois (click here for the recipe!)
A Cheese Plate/Board of French Cheese (discussed on this podcast!)
A Bottle of Bubbly! Sparkling Wine in all forms: Champagne, Crémant, Blanquette de Limoux, Cava, Prosecco, Lambrusco, etc. (discussed on too many podcasts to include here!)
Earl Grey Tea (hot)
Mexican Cuisine in general, with a special shout-out to the recipes of Grandma Luisa & Kathy Suarez-Gaumer (click here for one recipe!)
An essential menu item from UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: Pizza! (read our article: Best of the Balkans: Our Top 10 Favorite Pizzas!)
Falafel (especially L'As du Fallafel: recommended by Lenny Kravitz!)
Sushi (discussed on this podcast, this podcast, this one & this one! I really love sushi.)
And my choice for today’s podcast: I cannot live without . . .
Pasta with Cheese! Especially Mac & Cheese, Cacio e Pepe (aka Basic Bitch Pasta), Spaghetti Mizithra, Fettuccine Alfredo, Gnocchi alla Romana . . .
We discuss pasta frequently (as I cannot live without it), but here is the podcast where we coined the phrase “Basic Bitch Pasta” and here’s a photo of the beloved dish:
So that’s it for this week! And that’s it for Season 2 of the Aesthetic Arrest Podcast! After two years and 100 episodes . . . we need a vacation! So next week we are returning to one of our favorite cities in the world, our beloved Athens, Greece, for some much-needed R&R for R&R (get it?).
The Aesthetic Arrest Podcast will return in July for Season 3! In the meantime, you can still check out our Mid-Week Libations every Wednesday, as well as some upcoming new articles like Ryan Elston’s next deep-dive into The Criterion Collection and The Criterion Channel for Pride Month!
But that’s not all! We have another special announcement as well! This month we are going back into the vaults and resurrecting a whopping 20 “locked episodes” of the Aesthetic Arrest Podcast from our archives. These 20 episodes (including some of our favorites!) have long been unavailable to anyone who isn’t a paid subscriber, but since we’re taking some time off, we’ve decided to release them back into the world for everyone! So check out those episodes later this month!
And that’s it for Season 2! As always, thank you for listening and for all of your continued support over these past 100 episodes. Join us in July for Season 3!
Cheers to that!
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